TIX Bay Area

Everything about this is GREAT! Friendly, knowledgeable service and a comprehensive idea of all the shows available in the bay area, including the great indie theatre scene that thrives in San Francisco but isn’t always as frontline as other more national headliners. If you’re visiting or if you live here this is your gateway into the weird wonderful compelling world of SF Theatre. FOR CHEAP! :D :D

Dori is amazing she truly helped me see SF on a budget she helped me customize tours for my stay ! She was very eager to help and went above and beyond to give me Heaven n earth on my best stateside vacation ever !

It will be the best thing you will do on your holiday!

I DESPISE the new ½ price tickets screen. I have been using TIX for about 20 years & between the hideous online TIX & the new horrible screens, they have taken 10 steps backward. Not user friendly! Stand there FOREVER to see what is playing that day! The screens move at a snails pace. Plus one day I was there about 1 ½hr before closing & inquired about 2 shows… NEITHER was available as those theater box offices were already DISCONNECTED from TIX! They couldn’t sell me tickets! So sorry to see TIX go downhill. BRING BACK THE OLD EASY TO USE SYSTEM! whomever set you up on the new system really sold you a crappy bill of goods…

If theatre were food, TIX is like a farmers’ market – but CHEAP. It’s fresh, live theatre, it’s half price or discounted (full price is available too) and best of all – you’re sustaining local artists and the theatre community by buying from TIX. It’s actually a non-​profit organization, and while they use Goldstar for their ticketing, a portion of the service fees go back into the theatre community. This does NOT happen if you buy from Goldstar directly.
Plus, they are actual people. You can walk right up to the booth and talk to a person about what you want to see and when you want to see it. Of course, for the self-​service type, you can also just go online and buy a ticket. Easy as that.
I often can finagle free tickets, as I’m a working actor in the Bay Area. But when I can’t, or when I feel like maybe I should pay a measly $ 15 because I CAN, and because TIX makes that possible, then I buy them from TIX. I’ve always had great experience buying from these guys.

I am truly at a loss as to why this place EVER gets rated less than five stars.
HOW CAN ONE POSSIBLY FIND FAULT WITH HALF-​PRICE TICKETS!!!
That is all…

One thing I despise is rude service. I mean. the attitude people show when they don’t want to do their job. The kind of attitude that loses the sale. Ridiculous.
You want a taste of rudeness? Call Tix Bay Area to ask a question about their service or event like I did today. All you’re going to get is some joker stating over and over how he can’t give any info over the phone and that people are in line.
Why even pick up the phone if you can’t help a customer? Why give out your phone number to the public? Why does Tix Bay Area hire people like this?
Whatever the reason, no transaction today. Weak.

I love going to see theater, but I’m on a twentysomething budget, so I go to Tix! Been there twice this summer and got great seats to see Billy Elliot and Tales of the City. They do charge service fees on the tickets they sell, but they’re a non-​profit, so I think most of the proceeds go right back into the arts community. They’re also a ticket master outlet, so you can get concert tickets too.

This place is really cool because you get to pick up concert tickets here. I always get there here and since I go to a lot of concerts I get them all at once here. But the last time I was here, the guy working at the window got a little snappy at me because I wasn’t helpful with what venues I was going to be going to. Apparently they access your tickets by region, so next time you come here to get your tickets make sure you know exactly what region the concert is in.

My mom and I had bought tickets from some discount website for Wicked, when we tried calling to find out how we can get our tickets, they told us we lost the purchase because it was made too late in the evening. bullshit!
So at the last minute it was Unilocal to the rescue again! I remembered buying cheap tickets for the theater in NYC and hoped that there would be the same service in SF. Luckily there was!
The booth opens at 11am, but when we got there at 1pm, the man was in the middle of organizing which tickets were available for the evening. I was second in line and got great seats for Wicket at the Orpheum. Orchestra level Row V seats 1&3. for $ 50 each plus a service charge. The seats were amazing!!!
This will be my go to plan for theater tickets from now on! They have a set section of seats that you choose from, so you cant just choose anywhere. So go early for the best selection!

This is exactly what I had hoped it would be.
I purchased concert tickets for the Oakland Fox Theater three days before the show. The tickets were TICKETMASTER. I was able to avoid paying half of that annoying service charge you pay using the online method. The young woman who helped me was happy, friendly and quick.
Located directly on Union Square. ON THE ACTUAL SQUARE
Last time I’m gunna buy tickets online.
(I’m throwing up two middle fingers to online fees)

The seats I got for a next-​day performance of «Souvenir» at ACT were listed on ACT’s website for $ 55 each.
The guy at Half Price Tickets in Union Square was very helpful and friendly and he even told me to come back later in the afternoon because he was getting more tickets for better seats.
The printed price on the tickets was $ 29.50 each, but Half Price Tickets in Union Square charged me $ 35.50 each.
That’s okay, but it’s certainly not «half price» from $ 55.

I totally scored on killer seats for ACT’s A Christmas Carol. This was my sons 1^st theater experience and I wanted to have him seated in the middle of the audience but not to close to the stage, Yeah I’m picky. The order person gave me precisely what I wanted. Orchestra seating– row H and I only paid half the price that it normally goes for. SCORE!

Been to Broadway, off-​broadway, and way-​way-​way off-​Broadway.
Seen shows from London to Stockton. From Broadway to Market Street.
Heard lyrics ranging from «If I were a rich man» from «Fiddler on the Roof» in the 70’s to «You Mother F&@#*$g Co%#@$%#ing bitch!» from «Jerry Springer, The Opera» in the 2000’s
And bought tickets as much as 6 months in advance to 2 hours before the show — the latter being right here.
I wouldn’t usually recommend planning your weekend around getting tickets at the half-​price booth, because you never quite know what is going to be available. But if you are flexible and want to play it by ear, you can get some great deals.
My parents do this often when spending the weekend in the City (San Francisco or New York). If they get tickets, great. If not, there are 2 dozen other things to do.
A few years ago I took the kids to SF for a 3 day weekend (all the way from the east bay). Sunday morning (Fathers Day) we walked to see what was listed. Among other things available, they were waiting for a shipment of tickets for the Buddy Holly Story in town at the Post Street Theater. I waited. 10 minutes later she called me up to the window and had 4 tickets for me. Second row, right on the aisle — HALF PRICE.
The show was fun, the kids loved it, and at the end they were standing up dancing to some of the final songs. The actor playing Buddy asked the crowd if they wanted to hear more music, the crowd cheered, and then he said, «then you need to stand up and dance like these kids!!» while pointing at my kids. Afterwards one of the actors came up to us and told the kids how much they appreciated them coming and enjoying the show. My kids loved it.

TIX does a lot of nifty things I’m not sure about for tourists.
What it does for me is letting me pay for my monthly bus pass with credit card (no cash or ATM only with them, plus they don’t sell out).
And I get to buy half price tickets to see theatre that I couldn’t weasel my way into any other way. And half price ain’t bad!
Them’s good folks! 4 classy, edumacated, local stars!

If you wanna know what’s being performed in San Francisco, your first stop should be the half priced ticket booth in Union Square. Many locals don’t even know that it’s there, due to sign restrictions by the powers that control Union Square. It’s a shame cuz it’s a great resource. It’s a much smaller operation than the one in NYC, but that lends it self to a much more friendly atmosphere. Not only do they have a list of all the shows that are on sale each day, but they also have descriptions of all the shows, a map with all the theaters posted on it, and they highlight in pink all the shows that are within walking distance of the booth. Some theaters will even let you buy their tickets in advance, rather than just day of.
There is a service charge, so it’s not exactly HALF of the regular price, but it’s not like a Ticketmaster service charge. TIX Bay Area is a non-​profit who’s goal is to promote and support the theater community in the Bay Area. The fee you pay is going to help that cause. Theaters who are members of TBA can even get health insurance through them. The prices posted in the window have the service charge already included, so most people don’t even notice that there even is a service charge.
Because the people in the booth are working for the theater community as a whole, they aren’t actually allowed to recommend particular shows. There are actors who stand outside the booth and had out flyers for particular shows, and most have seen a lot of what’s playing. Most of the time they’ll give you a honest review of the shows going on at any given time, and help you find a good quality show of the kind you’re wanting to see. Many times I’ve seen actors, who are out promoting their own shows, sell people on other shows that aren’t theirs, so that people could see a show that fit their mood at the time. I know I’ve done it when I’ve been out there handing out flyers. The San Francisco Half Priced Ticket Booth really is a great, friendly place to find out what’s playing in the city in and to get tickets for a really good price.
TIX Bay Area Hours:
Tuesday — Thursday 11am — 6:00pm
Friday 11:00am — 7:00pm
Saturday 10:00am — 7:00pm
Sunday 10:00am — 3:00pm
If you wanna see what’s playing before you go down there, they have a listing that changes every day online.
You can even buy some show’s tickets online!

To buy or not to buy… that is the question;
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of full-​price tickets,
Or to take arms against a sea of tourists,
And by opposing, end them…
If you think the ‘thea-​tuh’ is just for Seacliff blue-​noses or the skinny leotard-​and-​beret bohemian types, you may have to reconsider given the deals you can get here. Granted live theater here is nowhere near the scene found in New York or Chicago (…spoken like a true faux-​East Coast snob, eh?), it is robust enough to warrant this half-​price ticket venue.
The pickings can be pretty slim, and the quality of some of the productions may be little more than community theater in a shoebox-​shaped room. But it’s worth seeking out the gems like I found this evening when I was able to get $ 35 tickets for $ 22 (which includes the service charge). I was able to see a small production of Stephen Sondheim’s «Assassins» just down the street from me, something I would have likely bypassed otherwise. And it was pretty darn good.
The other big plus is that you don’t necessarily have to traipse over to Union Square to find bargains. You can easily order tickets online, though you’ll miss the friendly, customer-​focused young woman behind the window. So instead of some blaring, half-​witted, CGI-​saturated movie with testosterone-​driven adolescents throwing popcorn at the screen and at you, treat yourself to a live show with actors and maybe even some music. Half-​price. Such a deal.

TIX Bay Area is wonderful! It is a great place to get amazing discounts on theatre. I think if you like theatre and you don’t go because of the price you no longer have an excuse. Buy tickets from here and you can enjoy all the talented theatres of the Bay Area! You can buy many of their tickets online at
. What a great resource.

A great resource to have for those who love theatre. They post their ½ off deals daily at the booth in Union Square and online. If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, the knowledgeable ticket sellers can give you great recommendations.

TIX Bay Area is a box office selling half-​price theatre tickets on the day of performance, based on availability, and full-​price tickets to select events in advance. Adult Fast Passes, tourist one-​, three-​, and seven-​day transportation passports, MUNI and city maps, all Gray Line Tours and Coach USA sightseeing tours, the Victorian Home Walking Tour, and discounted Aquarium of the Bay tickets are also sold here. The pavilion is open Tuesday — Thursday from 11am — 6:00pm, Friday from 11:00am — 7:00pm, Saturday from 10:00am — 7:00pm, and Sunday from 10:00am — 3:00pm. Half-​price tickets go on sale at 11:00am on all days. For a list of half-​price tickets on sale on any given day, you can check the listing at
, which is posted by noon, or call the information line at (415) 433‑7827.